Awakening from Addiction

The End of an Internet Free Holiday

I’m just returning from a 10 day break away from the internet. This was sort of unintended but it turned out to be a welcome rest – there is life away from the web. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago ( see here) I devote up to fourteen hours a day stuck in front of the computer screen so this sudden change was actually a shock to the system. I spent a bit of time worried about unanswered emails and unanswered comments on my website; on the whole though, it was great to have some time away from the computer and I would recommend it to others who are slaves to the web.

The main reason for my recent break was that my mother is visiting Thailand and so we did a bit of travelling along the coast. I had intended to write a few posts on the road but just never got around to it. I’ve been overworking for a long time now, and once I stopped it was hard to get going again. I had intended to be back online last Friday, but I picked up some type of stomach bug that put me on my back for the weekend; the sickest I’ve felt in years. I’m on the mend now though and so today it is back to normality.

Although this holiday away from the internet has been good for me I also missed my routine. I’m once again finding that writing is not just something I do to make a living, but it is also something that I miss when I’m not doing it. Relaxing on holiday is nice, but I wouldn’t like to do it all the time.

I had a bit of a break with a visa run to Cambodia last week and then with the flooding here in the south over the past few days. We had some close calls – but no water in the villa. Hope to read more from you here and if you have any new books coming out – do tell.

It IS nice to skip out on the internet for a few days. I too worry about emails going unanswered, but I think that’s because I tend to answer them within minutes of when they arrive – nobody expects me to, but I just feel like banging them out quick. Then, on holiday – I really feel like I’m slacking and not giving good customer service. Nobody gripes me out about it though.

Hi Mike. I do feel bad when I don’t reply to emails right away – I’m the same way about comments. I always worry that if I don’t reply quickly that people will think that I’m ignoring them deliberately. I do have plans for a new book and you can read about that here.

I went to the site you recommended and commented. Glad to see you tackling this. I’ve thought about it – but will stick to a triathlon comeback in the coming years, nothing that’s going to get me beat up.

Hi Martyn, there isn’t enough free Lao khao on the planet to tempt me back to my old ways 🙂

My mother seems to be enjoying herself so far. There was a lady boy working in one of the hotels we were staying but my mother didn’t notice – I didn’t fancy mentioning it because she probably would have been questioning me about every other woman we came across 🙂

Hi Paul, good to have you back 🙂
I couldn’t do without internet longer than three days, but then again I just have to daily monitor if everything is in order with my income, but that will normaly just be a quick check, provided everything is in order.
Today we traveled to Isan (Wikipedia’s spelling), Roi-Et, near my finacee’s home village, which is completely unknown both on Google search and maps, and unless one knows the way it’s impossible to find. If there ever will be a war I suppose I could easily hide-out, because life will not change much..
We had a home-coming party with everybody who happened to come along being invited. Anyway I felt realy happy to change Bangkok city life to a more laid back rural life.I-nomad recently posted..Pretty accurate predictions from 1967 about our information age

Hi I-nomad, I only have to check my income once a month; amything more than this would be too depressing 🙂 It is nice to get off the beaten track now and again and I hope you have a great time in rural Thailand.

Wow, 10 days away from the internet! Nice! It’s kind of amazing to me that I feel like I go through actual withdrawal when I’m not on the internet. Not a good feeling.Megan recently posted..Challenge- Being a Lady of Leisure Who Lunches

Hi Megan, I actually would have expected the time away from the internet to be more of a struggle. I think it was easier because it wasn’t really planned; I had my iPad with me but just never got around to using it.

Paul, anyone would think I’ve been away from the internet of late, what with my recent slack reading and commenting efforts. I always get the jitters if I know I can’t access the internet while travelling, but in the end, it becomes a welcome relief…a ‘real’ holiday. Welcome back!Snap recently posted..Finding and losing friends

I think it’s good to get away from the computer sometimes. I took a three-day trip with my high-school daughter and didn’t permit her to bring her computer (there was a computer available where we stayed on the trip). She nearly panicked to think she would have to take a four-hour bus trip without a computer and the internet! I wanted her to see that there IS life outside of the computer, AND other ways of passing time, such as reading a book, or having a conversation. Personally, I have to make time to get away from the computer, too.

Hi Lynne, my mum is still enjoying her visit. I agree with you about computers. My son is only three and a half an already he has developed a bit of a fascination with computers – I don’t want him to become too obsessed with them though.